Despite how it sounds, the need for social rest doesn’t necessarily mean solitude. It’s about taking a break from people who wear you out — and spending more time with people who lift your spirits.
“Social rest is about making space for those relationships that revive you,” explains Dalton-Smith. “When you are with a friend … who makes you feel as if you could tell them anything, you’re experiencing social rest.”
She suggests you may be deficient in social rest if you are experiencing any of these:
- You feel alone in the world.
- You feel detached from family and friends.
- You are attracted to dismissive or abusive people.
- You prefer online relationships over face-to-face contact.
To make space for social rest, identify the people who make you feel good, energized, and inspired. It may be a friend who always makes you laugh but also listens thoughtfully when you’re going through a hard time; or it might be a group of like-minded folks who champion a cause you believe in. You’ll know who they are by how you feel after you see them.
Comments (0)